Tour around Africa: Stage 57 - Ambouli (HDAM) to Berbera (HCMI)
MS Flight Simulator VFR Flight Plan
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In this VFR - GPS Flight Plan we take off from the runway 09 of the Ambouli airport (HDAM), fly following the coast of Somalia and finally land in the runway 05 of the airport of Berbera (HCMI)

Find below a short extract and screenshots of the main points of the route. In this journey around Africa I have used the Cessna 172S (Skyhawk)

Take off from the runway 09 of the airport of Ambouli (HDAM).

Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport (Arabic: مطار جيبوتي الدولي, French: Aéroport international Ambouli) (IATA: JIB, ICAO: HDAM) is a joint civilian/military-use airport situated in the town of Ambouli, Djibouti. It serves the national capital, Djibouti. The airport is located approximately 6 kilometres (4 miles) from the city centre. It occupies an area of 10 square kilometers.

Civilian use Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport has a single terminal building, with one departure gate and one baggage carousel.

As the airport is located south of Djibouti City and its runways run east–west, an airliner's landing approach is usually directly over the conurbation of the capital, when the wind is from the west.

In 2010, the airport served 176,861 passengers.

Military use In addition to its use as a civilian airport, the airport hosts a military presence from a number of countries. Military traffic makes up approximately 75% of the airport's total traffic volume.  (*1) 

After a short flight to the south-east we reach the Somalia border.

Loyada (Arabic: لويعدا, Somali: Lowyacadde) is a small town in Djibouti. Located in the Arta Region, it is the only official border crossing from Djibouti into Somaliland. It is situated on the west coast of Gulf of Aden, 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the capital, Djibouti. (*1)

Overflying Saylac.

Zeila (Somali: Saylac, Arabic: زيلع, romanized: Zayla), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland.

In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila with the Biblical location of Havilah. Most modern scholars identify it with the site of Avalites mentioned in the 1st-century Greco-Roman travelogue the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and in Ptolemy, although this is disputed. The town evolved into an early Islamic center with the arrival of Muslims shortly after the Hijrah. By the 9th century, Zeila was the capital of the early Adal Kingdom and Ifat Sultanate in the 13th century, it would attain its height of prosperity a few centuries later in the 16th century. The city subsequently came under Ottoman and British protection in the 18th century.

Up until recently Zeila was surrounded by a large wall with five gates: Bab al Sahil and Bab al-jadd on the North. Bab Abdulqadir on the East: Bab al-Sahil on the west and Bab Ashurbura on the south.

Zeila falls in the traditional territory of the ancient Somali Dir clan. The town of Zeila and the wider Zeila District is inhabited by the Gadabuursi and Issa, both subclans of the Dir clan family.  (*1)

Passing near Lughaya.

Lughaya (Arabic: لوغهيا) is a coastal town in the northwestern Awdal region of Somaliland.

The broader Lughaya District has a total population of 101,104 residents. The town is mainly inhabited by the Mahad 'Ase subclan of the Gadabuursi Dir clan who make up the predominant clan in the district. (*1)

We leave the coast and start the climb towards the mountains

Flying over Lara-Ruug towards the Golis escarment.

Lafa-Ruug (Lafarug, Lafaruuq, Laferug) is a Village in south-central Sahil region in Somaliland.

Lafa-Ruug is located in the sublittoral zone below the Golis escarpment, with sandy, Semi-desert-like vegetation. Vachellia tortilis, Dobera glabra, Salvadora persica, Indigofera sparteola, and Commiphora are found.

Livestock ranching is the main business, but because of its location along the main road, some people are engaged in small-scale trades such as restaurants and small stores.   (*1)

Gacan Libaax mountains.

Gaanlibah or Ga'an Libah (Somali: Gacan Libaax) is mountain range, archaeological site, and national park located in the Maroodi Jeex region of Somaliland.[2][3] Nearby are the Golis Mountains.Its upper slopes are the source of the seasonal Togdheer river that flows through the city of Burao into the Nugaal Valley.

Gaanlibah is not far from Laas Geel and around 100 km (62 mi) east of the provincial capital Hargeisa. It is in the western part of the northern mountains, which extend east and west parallel to the northern coast of the Horn of Africa.

The natural vegetation includes evergreen and semi-evergreen bushland and thicket at lower elevations, dominated by the shrub Buxus hildebrandtii, which cover approximately 20,000 ha. Woodlands of African juniper (Juniperus procera) and other Afromontane plant communities occur at higher elevations, and cover about 30,000 ha.

Mammals recorded here include hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas), klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), beira (Dorcatragus megalotis), and dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas pelzelni).

Native birds include the sombre rock chat (Oenanthe dubia), Gambaga flycatcher (Muscicapa gambagae), and Somali golden-winged grosbeak (Rhynchostruthus louisae).

The site features a number of caves adorned with rock art of animals and other figures. As no major archaeological excavation has been conducted here, the Gaanlibah paintings are of uncertain origin, purpose and date.  (*1)

Final approach to the runway 05 of the airport of Berbera.

Berbera (burr-burr-AH; Somali: Barbara, Arabic: بربرة) is the capital of the Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of the British Somaliland protectorate before Hargeisa. It also served as a major port of the Ifat, Adal and Isaaq sultanates from the 13th to 19th centuries.

In antiquity, Berbera was part of a chain of commercial port cities along the Somali seaboard. During the early modern period, Berbera was the most important place of trade in the Somali Peninsula. It later served as the capital of the British Somaliland protectorate from 1884 to 1941, when it was replaced by Hargeisa. In 1960, the British Somaliland protectorate gained independence as the State of Somaliland and united five days later with the Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somalia) to form the Somali Republic. Located strategically on the oil route, the city has a deep seaport, which serves as the region's main commercial harbour.  (*1)

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(*1) Credits: The descriptive texts are mainly an excerpt of those provided by Wikipedia. Visit Wikipedia to read the full descriptions.